


Knight to Queen’s Bishop 3

by IvanW



Series: The Professor-Cadet [17]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Blind Date, Chess, M/M, One Shot, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Spanking References, Teashops, slight daddy kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 14:37:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14138100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvanW/pseuds/IvanW
Summary: Jim has a blind date on a rooftop





	Knight to Queen’s Bishop 3

**Author's Note:**

> Followup Work: [Pawn to Queen's Knight 4](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14236347/chapters/32825598)

“Oh No.”

Jim froze in his tracks, turning to stare at his best friend, Leonard “Bones” McCoy. “What? What? You forget something?”

Bones had stopped just inside the doorway of the club. The loud, throbbing, pounding club that made you feel the very beats of your heart and your pulse jump. Jim loved it. It was just the sort of excitement he thrived on.

And this…this was a party. Everyone they knew was supposed to be here tonight. Celebrating the end of another semester and a brief break before the next one started.

“He’s here,” Bones grumbled.

Jim followed his gaze to way across the club to land first on Uhura and then the tall, stiff, unyielding guy in black standing next to her. Without thinking, Jim took a step forward, but then Bones stopped his forward motion with a hand on his arm.

“Who?”

“Professor Fucking Spock that’s who. I can’t believe he’d come to this.”

Jim, of course, knew Professor Spock. He was a regular at the teashop where Jim worked part time. He had something of a crush on the Vulcan who came in frequently to order tea. This club here was not the place he’d expect to find Spock, though. He searched his brain for a minute trying to remember—

“He’s the jerk who threw me out of his damn class for talking,” Bones bitterly reminded Jim before he had a chance to recall.

“Oh. Right! I’d forgotten about that.” Jim patted Bone’s arm. “Doesn’t have to ruin the evening. He’s way over there. You can ignore him the whole time. Remember Janice said she had a friend for you.”

Bones smiled. “That’s right. I can ignore his stupid face.”

Jim’s PADD beeped. “Finally!”

He remove it from the book bag he’d brought with him.

_Meet me on the roof of the Science Building in one hour._

Bones read the message out loud as he leaned over Jim’s shoulder. “Not this again. Jim, you can’t meet some stranger in the middle of the night.”

“Of course I can. That’s the point of a blind date, Bones. I’m a stranger to him, too.”

“Maybe I should come with you.”

Jim burst out laughing. “I don’t need a chaperone. I can more than take care of myself. Remember that Gorn?”

“Yeah, he kicked your ass.”

“Not that one!” Jim scowled. “The other one.”

Bones rolled his eyes. “I still don’t like this.”

“You have your own blind date to meet with Janice and Christine. And anyway I’ve been talking to this guy for more than a month, Bones.”

“That’s the only reason I’m not putting a stop to this entirely.” Bones walked over to the nearest bar. “Two sunrises.”

“You’re not my dad you know.” Jim leaned his back against the bar counter as they waited. He surveyed the crowd. Spock and Uhura were no longer where they had been and Jim wasn’t able to locate them in the crowd. He doubted Bones would have to worry. He couldn’t imagine a Vulcan sticking around that kind of place for long.

“You need a daddy.”

“Better watch that, Bones. You’re starting to sound kinky,” Jim cracked.

“Oh for fuck’s sake” Bones was bright red. “You know that isn’t what I mean.”

“Still, you know I like to—”

“Shut up, will you?”

Bones picked up the drinks from the bartender and handed one to Jim while he took a sip of his own.

“You smell good,” Jim said sniffing him.

“Don’t start with me, kid.”

Jim chuckled. “I just meant she’s going to appreciate it.” He sipped his drink, surprised at how fast he was feeling it. He hadn’t had anything to eat most of the day because he’d been so nervous about meeting this guy.

He just hoped the guy didn’t end up being a jerk like Gary was.

“You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin,” Bones said, eyeing him. “You really like this guy, huh?”

“Well.” Jim shrugged. “I mean I love talking to him. Part of me thinks…nah.”

“If he meets you he won’t like you and you won’t even get to talk to him anymore,” Bones said quietly.

Jim glanced away. “Yeah. I mean it was my idea to meet. I pushed it. We could have gone on just being friends over messenger for like, I don’t know, forever I guess. But no, I had to be stupid and suggest we meet.”

“Jim.”

“I know what you’re going to say, Bones. I’m great and there’s no chance he won’t think so and blah blah blah.”

“Well.”

“Plenty of people don’t like me around here. And maybe it’s already someone who knows me and hates me. You never know. I just think I should have left it alone. Too late now. If I don’t show up, there’s no chance he’ll keep talking to me.”

“Just don’t get attacked by a serial killer, all right? Text me when you meet him.”

“All right. And I’m going to go.” Jim downed the drink. “I’m way too antsy here. Good luck with Janice’s friend, okay?”

“Text me,” Bones called after him.

Jim waved.

****

He rode the lift to the top floor of the academy science building and then took the stairs that led up to the roof. He half expected the door to be locked but it opened easily.

As Jim stepped out on the roof, he quickly discovered he was alone. It was still early so he wasn’t afraid of being stood up.

He noticed it was breezy and a little chilly as he went to stand at the roof’s edge. Maybe it was Bones’ warnings or maybe it was his experience with Gary, but Jim felt a little uneasy as he stared down at the ground below. It would be extremely easy for someone to catch him off guard and push him off the roof. He shivered and moved away to the middle of the roof.

Then he turned as he heard the creek of the door. Jim held his breath, twisting his hands together.

When he saw who stepped out onto the roof, his heart threatened to pound right out of his chest.

His mouth dry, Jim called out, “Knight to Queen’s Bishop 3?”

Professor Spock cocked his head, still standing by the door. “Pawn to Queen’s Knight 4?”

“Yeah,” Jim whispered.

“You—”

He took several steps toward Spock.

“I never dreamed,” Jim stammered. “I mean, when we, the other night—”

“Yes.” Spock visibly swallowed as Jim reached him. “I did not guess either.”

Jim searched Spock’s dark eyes which in the poorly lit rooftop looked nearly black. It made him very mysterious.

“What…does this mean?” Jim moistened his lips. “Did you still want to go for-for coffee or something?”

Spock showed no reaction to Jim’s question and his insides began to turn cold like ice as he suddenly realized that just as he had suggested to Bones, Spock wouldn’t want anything to do with him now.

And who could blame him?

Jim wouldn’t want to get involved with him either.

Only a few nights earlier Spock had come upon him having a terrible fight with Gary right after Jim had got off work at the teashop. Jim hadn’t thrown the first punch, Gary had, but he’d decked Gary a good one just as Spock came upon them on the sidewalk. Jim still had a shiner just under his left eye.

Gary had walked away without looking back at Jim as he’d stood there awkwardly with Spock. And he hadn’t heard from Gary since. Thankfully.

Jim changed the subject. “Why did you want to meet on the roof anyway?”

Spock finally stepped away from his escape route, Jim guessed, and made his way toward the middle of the roof. He looked up at the sky.

“You mentioned in our correspondence how much you loved the stars. The view here is…fascinating.”

Jim joined him. “Yeah. Back home I was always looking upward.”

Spock glanced at him briefly. “In Riverside.”

“Right,” Jim said, surprised. “There’s not much out there where I’m from, so you can see the sky and the planets and stars forever it seemed.”

“And did you dream of joining Starfleet even then?”

“Hell no.” Jim laughed. “Starfleet was a bad word in my house. It was Pike who convinced me.” The smile dropped from his face. “You know, that night, Gary and I were breaking up.”

“I assumed so.”

“I don’t usually…I mean, your friends with Uhura, so I guess maybe you’ve heard differently, but I’m not really a fighter.”

Spock glanced at him again. “She advised that you were not the one who started the bar fight.”

“Yeah? That does surprise me. Anyway, Gary hit me first.”

Spock nodded. “Yes, I am aware.”

“You are?”

“I witnessed his attack of your person when I left the teashop and intended to interfere, however, you had already handled the matter by the time I reached you,” Spock replied.

Jim sighed. “Gary was a mistake. I’m glad we’re through.”

“It does appear that it is for the best,” Spock murmured. “Given that you recently ended a relationship, I admit to being somewhat surprised you initiated a meeting between us.”

He shrugged. “Well. The truth was Gary should have been over a while ago. And I liked you. You know from talking to you. When we first started talking it was just for fun. Through the whole online chess thing. But the more we talked…anyway, after that night I decided, why not meet you?”

“I am not sure it is wise to pursue a new relationship in such haste.”

Jim smiled a little and turned his head away. He wasn’t really surprised but he was disappointed. Deeply. He made himself nod. “Yeah, okay. I get it.”

“Get what?”

“You aren’t interested, Spock. And I don’t even blame you. I wouldn’t want to get mixed up with me either. No hard feelings, all right? See you.”

He turned to leave.

“Jim.”

He stopped but he didn’t turn around. “Yes?”

“Were I not ‘interested’ as you say, I would simply state that.” Jim frowned and turned around in time to see Spock arch a brow. “Which I have not done.”

“Okay.”

“I merely questioned the wisdom,” Spock said.

“All right. So. Want to go get something?”

“Affirmative.”

Jim smiled at the haughty word. “Let’s go then.”

****

That they would end up at an all-night diner eating a banana split was definitely not something Jim had expected, but he went with it. Especially after Spock had advised he’d never had one.

There were only two other occupants there, one being the waitress, and the other a man huddled at the counter with his hands around a cup of coffee.

Rather than each get their own, they had decided to share the banana split. Jim noticed Spock steadfastly avoided the chocolate sauce.

“What do you think?”

“There are positive attributes.”

Jim smirked. “You could be talking about me.”

Up went the eyebrow. “Who said I was not?”

He laughed. “Touché.”

There was a very subtle softening in the dark eyes. “The ice cream is appealing. I am somewhat surprised you chose to leave the club.”

“You saw me there?”

“I see you everywhere.”

He said it low and casually but there was a light dusting of color across his cheeks.

Jim was pretty sure there was an answering blush in his own. “I just went there for Bones because he didn’t want to arrive by himself.”

“Bones?”

“Leonard McCoy.”

“Ah.” Spock nodded. “The talker.”

Jim burst out laughing. “Yeah, he told me about that. He’s not very pleased with you.”

“He was merely dismissed from a session of my course. He is welcome to return to the class when it resumes after the semester break. Hopefully with his mouth shut.”

He laughed again. “You’re very funny.”

Spock shrugged slightly. Then the color was back. “Jim.”

“Uh-huh?” He dug his spoon into the last part of ice cream covered in chocolate.

“I have a confession to make.”

“All right.”

“I knew it was you,” Spock blurted out.

“Wait. What?”

“The night of your breakup with Mitchell, I picked up your fallen PADD and it was still open to one of our prior conversations.”

His mouth hung open as he stared at Spock. “You agreed to meet me knowing it was me?”

Spock nodded, his cheeks darkening. “I was not…displeased.”

“You-you lied.”

“Jim, I did not—”

“You so did!” Jim grinned. “You said you did not expect it to be me. On the roof.”

“It was a slight exaggeration,” Spock insisted. “When I made the initial discovery your identity was quite unexpected.”

He rolled his eyes.

Spock lowered his. “And you?”

“What?”

Spock’s gaze to meet Jim’s. “Were you displeased?”

Jim reached across the table, took the spoon out of Spock’s hand and touched his palm to Spock’s. “Not on your life.”

****

The bell over the teashop jingled just as Jim crouched behind the counter to shove a newly arrived box of loose tea onto a shelf.

“Be right there,” he called out.

“Take your time,” a woman said.

Jim finished shoving the box in and stood, tightening the strings on his apron as he did so. In front of his counter was an attractive middle-aged brunette woman with a colorful scarf over her hair.

She smiled.

Jim smiled back. “Can I help you?”

“Yes. I’d like to get some loose tea for my son.”

“What kind of tea does he like?”

“Well. What do you have?”

“Pretty much everything.” Jim walked to the other side and pointed at the display windows of teas. “Everything from fruity to spicy and in between.”

“Hmm.” She glanced toward the corner where his Starfleet Academy jacket was hung up. “Oh, are you in the Academy?”

“Yeah. Command track.”

“That’s lovely. My son is there too.”

The door of the shop opened again and Spock walked in, heading straight for Jim until he saw the woman before the counter. He stopped abruptly.

She turned. “There he is now.”

“Mother,” Spock said in a stilted voice.

Jim’s eyes widened as he exchanged a look with Spock. “Uh. Spock is your son?”

“Yes. Do you know him?” She stuck her hand out toward Jim. “I’m Amanda.”

“Uh.” He did not take her hand.

“Mother, I was unaware you intended to come here today.”

She withdrew her hand and looked from Spock to Jim. “I was in the area and you had mentioned a particular fondness for the tea here. Perhaps I can see why now.”

“Mother.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Now that you are here, you can choose your own tea and I’ll get it for you.”

“Uh.”

She turned back to Jim. “I do apologize. I promise I am here just by coincidence. May I have your name?”

“Kirk. James. James Kirk.” His cheeks were very warm. He looked at Spock again who stared right back.

“A friend of yours, Spock?” she asked gently.

Spock straightened and approached the tea counter. “Jim and I went out last night.”

“Oh!” Her smile widened. “That’s wonderful. And I’d say you had a nice time from the look of it.”

Jim cleared his throat and Spock looked like he wished to disappear.

“We currently have a suite of rooms at the Elite Ambassador Hotel, we’d love to have you for dinner.”

“Uh.”

“Mother,” Spock said, his voice firm. “Will you excuse us, Jim?”

They walked only steps away from the counter so Jim was still able to overhear every word.

“We went out for the first time last night, Mother. It is not appropriate to force Jim into an uncomfortable family dinner.”

“I wasn’t going to force him, Spock. I just thought—”

“I know you mean well, but our family dinners can be challenging.”

“Challenging? Well, I hardly think…oh. Yes.” She nodded. “Your father. I didn’t think of that.” She patted Spock’s arm and came back to the counter. “You must think me a complete airhead.”

“Well—”

“Spock’s right and I am sorry if I made you at all uncomfortable.” She smiled. “Perhaps someday in the future before we return to Vulcan we can have that dinner.” She handed a card to Jim. “Please get whatever tea Spock wishes and you can send the invoice to that address. It was lovely to meet you, Jim.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

Jim watched her leave the shop and then switched his gaze to Spock, who was quite clearly blushing.

“Your mom is nice.”

“I do apologize.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Jim smiled. “I’m not used to meeting the parents after the first date is all.”

Spock looked like his eye twitched.

“I’m kidding.”

“You have met parents after the first date?”

Jim chuckled. “No. Actually I’ve never met any parents before. Yours is the first.”

Spock stepped closer to the counter. “And your parents?”

“Well. You know the story of my dad. Mom’s off planet most of the time. And her ex, well, unless he’s blown himself up, he’s probably still at the farmhouse in Riverside.”

“How likely is it that he’s blown himself up?”

Jim shrugged. 

“Would you like to sit?” Spock asked, gesturing to a table.

“Nah. Boss doesn’t really like me to sit while on duty and honestly my ass is a little sore from—”

The blush was back. “You did say we had the appropriate amount of lube.”

“Not from that.” Jim grinned. “From the…” He lowered his voice, “The spanking.”

Now the tips of Spock’s ears had darkened. “Your reaction was rather enthusiastic and it encouraged further exploration in that regard.”

“I’m not complaining, just explaining,” Jim quipped.

Spock turned his gaze toward the displays of tea.

“I had a really, really nice time,” Jim said.

“Yes,” Spock murmured. “As did I.”

The door opened again.

“Jim, you asshole, you were supposed to text me —” Bones stopped. Gaped at Spock, then at Jim. Scowled at them both.

“Hi Bones.”

“Doctor.”

“Oh No.”

“Bones?”

“Don’t tell me he’s Knight to Queen’s Bishop 3?”

“Yep,” Jim said. “He is.”

“Figures. Although I did say ‘don’t tell me’. You didn’t come home last night and I was worried. Just where were you?”

“Spock’s apartment.”

“Spock’s apartment!” Bones was apoplectic.

“He was quite safe,” Spock said calmly.

Bones glared. “You could have at least messaged me.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

Spock got the stinkeye from Bones. “Obviously.”

“How’d it go last night?” Jim asked with a smile.

“None of your business,” Bones muttered. Then he sighed. “Not as well as your night.”

“Sorry.”

“Par for the course. You coming home later?”

Jim glanced at Spock, then shook his head. “Sorry, Bones. Plans. Want some tea?”

“No. I’m going to go get me a coffee. And don’t do anything stupid.” Bones paused at the door. “Or more stupid, I should say.”

Then he was gone.

“He means well,” Jim assured Spock.

“Like my mother.”

“Yep, he’s very much like my mother. Just don’t call him daddy,” Jim joked.

Spock’s look was stony. “I would not.”

Jim moistened his lips. “Uh, yeah. Yeah. Me either.”

Spock’s eyes were suddenly smoldering as he said, “What time does your shift end?”

Jim cleared his throat and picked up a brochure to fan himself. “Two more hours.”

His Vulcan nodded. “I will wait.”

“Here-here in the shop?”

“Is that a problem?” Spock arched a brow.

“No. It’s just…”

“What?”

“You are insanely hot right now,” Jim whispered. “You are a bit of a distraction.”

Spock considered that. “Would you rather I wait elsewhere?”

“No.” Jim smiled. “I think I’d like you to stay right here where I can see you.”

“You make no sense.”

“Now you really are getting to know me. You want your usual tea?”

“That would be most agreeable.”

Jim leaned over the counter and kissed Spock.

The bell over the door jingled.

A throat cleared.

They parted.

“Does that come with the tea?”

 


End file.
